Novelty hat construction



April 15, 1952 R|KELMAN 2,593,188

NOVELTY HAT CONSTRUCTI'ON Filed Feb. 12, 1949 Patented Apr. 15, 1 952 s. PATENT OFF CE 1 Novel. HAT oons 'ranorion Nathan Rikelman, Bronx; :NrY. appii auon rebruary 12,1949,Serial"l\lo,f76,109

struction. 1

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novelty hat construction'wherein the top of the same can be extended at will by the mereoperation of an air pressure creating device so that the hat may, in effect, grow upon the head of the wearer to the amusement of both the wearerand the onlooker and wherein, at the will of the wearer. the hat can be deflated and brought to a normal position on the head of the wearer.

It is another object of thepresent invention to provide a novelty hat construction adapted to be extended or enlarged at the will of the wearer wherein there is provided an automatic light device within the enlargeable portion of the hat which will be automatically turned on upon I the same becoming expanded to the maximum extent or closely thereto so as to display any written matter on the enlargeable portion and wherein during the inflation of the enlargeable portion a whistle or a whirler utilizing the air therefrom may be put into motion to attract the attention of the onlooker during the enlarging operation and if used in connection with the lamp will be operated before the lamp is which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the novelty hat construction resting upon the head of a wearer and expanded to substantially its full extent and with portions broken away to show the interior construction.

' Fig. 2.is a side elevational view of the hat construction shown in Fig. l in its deflated conditinn.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a hat construction employing a lamp adapted to be automatically turned on when the hat has been extended.

Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of an enlargeable portion having a whirler device.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of an enlargeable portion having a whistle device.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,

l0 represents an open top crown portion-having a rim H and adapted to fit upon the head of a wearer |2. Secured to the top of thecrown portion I!) is an expandable or enlargable por-'- tion I2 formed of rubber or rubber-like material and having an inlet I3 lying overthe top of they head to which-is'connected a flexible tub ing l4 which may extend outwardly through the brim portion and downwardly, through the rim H, beneath the coat ofthe wearer andinto his pocket for operation by his hand upon a hand bulb l5 upon the hand being extended into the pocket and Working the bulb i5. when thehat' is deflated, as upon the pressing of 'a release valve IE on the bulb l5, it will assume the shape as shown in Fig. 2, the enlarged portion being lowered into the rimof the hat as indicated at the top thereof. The crown portion may also be of flexible material so that it too can fold inwardly over the head of the wearer upon the contraction of the enlarged portion.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a construction comprising a crown portion l8 formed of less flexible material than the crown |0 of the preceding form of the invention, and having a rim l9. Secured to the top of the crown through an annular piece 26 is an expandable portion 2|. The expandable portion 2| is adapted to be expanded, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a top or swell head hat. The annular connecting portion 20 may be vulcanized and formed as an integral part of the expandable portion 2| and the connection with the crown portion l8 can be eifected by a simple stitching operation of the annular portion 20 therewith. This expandable portion 2| will have the usual air inlet 22 to which is connected a flexible tube 23 which extends downwardly through the crown and to a position on the wearer easily accessible to his hand.

Secured to the crown portion is an electric switch 24 having a switch arm 25 adapted to be depressed by the expandable portion 2| when it has been inflated to turn on an electric lamp 26 disposed within the enlargeable portion upon a bracket 21 on the upper end thereof and having a lamp cord 28 extending through a sealing device 29 for connection with a switch. A cord 3| extends from the switch to a battery 32 mounted on the crown portion H3.

The expandable portion 2| is transparent and as the same becomes extended to its maximum extent, the switch arm 25 will be depressed to close the electric circuit to cause the lamp 26 to be lighted. Automatically, the light will be ex tinguished when the air pressure is released from the portion 21 and the portion is deflated, as upon the depressing of a release valve l6 of the bulb I5 in the manner as above described in connection with the first mentioned form of the invention.

In Fig. 5 there is shown in an expandable portion 31, a plug 33 having a central outlet opening 34 adapted to direct a stream of air onto a blade 35 to cause its rotation upon a bent bracket 36 fitted into the other end of the plug 33. This air will cause the blade 35 to be whirled as the portion 21 is being inflated and maintained in the inflated condition. This Whirler will attract attention of the cnlooker and will rise with the enlarged portion. The loss of air through the opening 34 is small and not of suiflcient extent to prevent the building up of the enlarged portion. The plug 33 is retained in a tight manner within a special expandable portion 31 having the opening therefor.

In Fig. 6, there is provided a Whistle 38 of similar shape to the plug 33 adapted to fit the upper end of the expand-able portion 37. The whistle has a small outlet opening 39. small enough so that it does not depreciate to a great extent the air entering the portion 31 but such as to maintain whistling action.

While an air bulb type of air sup-ply means is shown, it will be understood that other air supplying devices can be used such as an air or gas cartridge which can be releasable to extend quickly into the enlarged portion a large supply of air or gas to inflate it on the cartridge being opened or released. 7

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope The outlet is 4 of the present invention as defined: by the ap-- pended claim.

What is claimed is:

A novelty hat construction comprising an open top crown portion, an expandable portion connected to the crown portion and adapted to receive and discharge air and to be expanded by air when filled therewith under pressure, air pressure means connected to the expandable portion for inflating the expandable portion at the option of the wearer, and means associated with the expandable portion and operable when the expandable portion is placed under pressure to announce the swelling action thereof, and said announcing means comprising a lamp disposed in the expandable portion, a switch on the inner side of the crown portion having an arm adapted to be engaged by the expandable portion when inflated to effect its operation, an electric source connected to the crown portion and electric circuit means extending between the lamp; the switch and the electric source, whereby the lamp will be automatically lighted uponthe expandable portion being inflated.

NATHAN RIICELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,242,211 Leihgeber Oct. 9, 1917 1,392,861 Tabacco Oct. 4, 1921 1,519,436 Brock Dec. 16, 1924 1,604,087 Tate Oct. 19, 1926 

